Art and science are often considered two unrelated disciplines, each with its own distinct ways of responding to the world. Artists aim to represent, interpret and challenge existing conceptions whilst scientists aim to observe, analyse and explain. Where science tries to clarify the world around us, art often seeks to make it more confusing. However, art and science are not always opposing forces. The amalgamation of the two provides new knowledge, ideas and processes beneficial to both fields. Since at least Leonardo da Vinci in the Renaissance period, creative visionaries have frequently blurred the line between art and science by combining advanced scientific techniques with the aesthetic and conceptual processes of the visual arts. It is therefore not surprising to see contemporary artists using cutting edge technology in their studios in ways that challenge our conception of art and science as distinct fields. One such artist is Melbourne-based Leah Heiss, who utilises advanced microelectronics and nanotechnology techniques in her art practice, collaborating with experts and conducting her own research into these fields. During her time at Nanotechnology Victoria, Heiss began her work on what she has termed ‘emotional technologies’, technologies that ‘focus on human health and wellbeing’ (Heiss, 2012). One example of this ‘emotional technology’ is Heiss’s therapeutic jewellery for diabetics; jewellery that secretes insulin into the skin, replacing the need for syringes (Australian Broadcasting Commission, 2009). ‘A lot of my work utilises nanotechnology, but what interests me is not the technology itself but the emotional side of how people interact with technology’ (Heiss, 2009). For Heiss, art provides the opportunity to access this emotional dimension, combating science’s need for objectivity. Another example of Heiss’s work with nanotechnology is her... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline